Review: The Legend of King Naresuan Part II: Reclamation of Sovereignty

• Directed by MC Chatrichalerm Yukol
• Wanchana Sawasdee, Nopachai Chaiyanama, Taksaorn Paksukcharern, Intira "Sai" Charoenpura
• Released in Thailand cinemas on February 15, 2007

So many questions. Did armies in King Naresuan’s time have elaborate armour, like they do in The Legend of King Naresuan? Did the monarch really have a three-metre-long sniper rifle? Did the Rock, Paper, Scissors game exist in 1577?

Historians may debate these questions, but really, the answer is simply: Who cares? It’s just cool, and that’s all that matters.

With The Legend of King Naresuan Part II: Reclamation of Sovereignty, MC Chatrichalerm Yukol has delivered a tightly paced, fast-moving, action-packed war film.

Like the best of Thai cinema, Naresuan II has a bit of everything to please the masses. Of course, it has action – loads of it, with epic battle scenes and hand-to-hand combat. There is bold romance and even some comedy.

The comedy is where Rock, Paper, Scissors comes in, when a couple of young, bumbling lords arrive at Naresuan’s castle in Phitsanulok. Alighting from their horses at the same time, they argue over who should go first, based on whose city is more important. They can’t decide, so the apparently ancient game makes the decision for them.

Trouble is, neither knows what Naresuan looks like. They’ve heard he’s the "Black Prince", and among the fighters seated on the palace grounds, watching some swordsman spar is a resplendently turbaned African warrior. So of course, the young lords bow to him first. Pretty soon, the real Naresuan (Capt Wanchana Sawasdee) is revealed.

All grown up, Naresuan and his right-hand man, the temple boy Boonting, rechristened Lord Rachamanu (Nopachai Chaiyanama), have attracted a following with their formidable military and martial arts skills. Along with the African fighter, there’s also a samurai warrior (Yano Kasuki) in Naresuan’s army.

Naresuan needs all the help he can get, because in Burma, King Bayinnaung (Sompop Benjatikul) has died, leaving the Hongsawadee kingdom in the hands of his mean-spirited son, King Nanthabureng. Without the wise, guiding hand of Bayinnaung, the throne’s grip on the ever-rebellious states is tenuous at best.

Naresuan’s father, King Thamaracha (Chatchai Plengpanich), believes he should go to Hongsawadee to pay respects. But Naresuan, having been raised in Burma as a hostage under Bayinnaung (see Part I), thinks of the dead monarch as his second father, and convinces his Thamaracha to let him go. There, he is reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Maneechan, who has grown into a beautiful woman (Taksaorn Paksukcharern), as well as the wise Yoda of a monk, Khan Shong (Sorapong Chatree), who taught him martial arts.

All the kingdoms have shown up for the funeral, and more importantly to show respect to Nanthabureng – all except one, the hilltribe state of Khang. So Naresuan is ordered to lead one of three armies to attack Khang, which is a stronghold that cannot be approached without heavy casualties. In a battle scene that recalls the Helm’s Deep scenes from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the first two armies try in vain, and end up decimated and full of arrows. Naresuan sizes up the situation, and finds a weakness in the Khang Death Star defences.


Overwhelmed by Naresuan’s troops, the Khang tribe surrenders and is imprisoned. During the fight, the tribe’s military leader, Princess Lurkin (Intira "Sai" Charoenpura from Nang Nak), captures the eye of Boonting. Handy with a bow and arrow, as well as an axe, Intira’s fireball of princess is a most welcome character, even if she does eventually succumb to Boonting’s repeated stealing of kisses between sword strokes. She’s like Star Wars Princess Leia or Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with the fighting skills of both Legolas and Gimli from The Lord of the Rings. The bonus is, she has no facial hair and is not Orlando Bloom.

Meanwhile, Nanthabureng is headed off to attack another rebel kingdom, leaving his even meaner-spirited son, Prince Upparaja (Napatsakorn Mitraim) in charge. This guy, and his buddy – the eye-liner duo – plot Naresuan’s demise, laughing and cackling as they scheme. They are hilarious, one-dimensional villains. All they need to do is tie Naresuan to some railroad tracks, if there were such things in 16th century Southeast Asia.

Upparaja even sends a tribe of Naga headhunters to attack Naresuan, which makes for some interestingly bloody hand-to-hand scenes. But the result of all Upparaja’s plotting only drives other kingdoms to side with Naresuan. The prince’s benevolence and wisdom serves him well. A flashback to his childhood reveals a selfless act that proves crucial to his victory in this episode. Along with this message is one of loyalty to friends and family, with the prince risking all to rush back across the battle lines to save his friend Boonting.

Another big battle scene features fireballs rolling down cliffs, a red-painted elephant and a treacherous river crossing. Finally, the big rifle that’s in all the movie ads comes into play. The weapon was first spotted in Part I, with the boy prince sneaking into a temple chamber to peek at the gun. Now, Naresuan is deemed ready by the monk Khang Shong to use it.

It takes three men to support Naresuan’s firing of the weapon – one to hold the long barrel, another to load it and a third to tamp down the load. But it’s worth all the effort – a shot that reaches across a river and at same time signifies Siamese independence.

At the end, the question remains, can Chatrichalerm keep up the momentum for Part III of his trilogy? It’s scheduled for release on December 5 in celebration of His Majesty the King’s 80th birthday.



More information:

• Official site

See also:

• Review at Asian Cinema - While on the Road
• Review at Coffee, Coffee and More Coffee

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomaotes)

Tony Jaa asks: Are you plus?

Tony Jaa is appearing Mitsubishi truck ads. They played one before Babel at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit. It starts out with him looking like he's going to beat the truck up. Then he dances around and flies over it, and then he actually gets in and drives the thing.

Coincidentally, one of the bus-stop ads is across the road from Major Sukhumvit. There's also a humongous billboard of him on the Rama IX expressway, on the way out to Suwannapoom Airport.

And incidentally, the Tony Jaa commercial wasn't the best of the commercials shown before the film - it was a spot involving a muay Thai fighter going through his pre-fight ritual, in which his trainer is blowing on him to imbue some sacred powers on his fighter. But the trainer's breath is so bad, the fighter is knocked out before he gets in the ring. The ad is for Salz toothpaste.

In Thailand the movie-theater commercials are often better than the films themselves. They took my mind off the anxiety over whether Babel would have English and Thai subtitles for the non-English dialogue. Often, the "foreign language" films in wide release in Thailand only have Thai subtitles. I'm pleased to report that everything is translated in both languages.

And in other Tony Jaa news, there was talk back in 2005 that he'd had some cosmetic surgery done to sharpen his jawline. When questioned about it, Tony admitted he'd had some work done -- he had his wisdom teeth removed. This is according to a Thai news report, translated by my girlfriend.

Anyhow, here's hoping Are you plus? becomes the new catchphrase of the year.

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

Review: The Legend of King Naresuan Part I: Hostage of Hongsawadee

• Directed by MC Chatrichalerm Yukol
• Written by MC Chatrichalerm Yukol and Sunate Chutinatharanond
• Starring Sompop Benjatikul, Pratcha Sananvatananont, Sorapong Chatree, Chatchai Plengpanich, Grace Mahadumrongkul, Jirayu La-ongmanee, Suchada Chekly
• Released in Thai cinemas on January 18, 2007. Part II: Reclaiming Sovereignty, opens on February 15, 2007, and Part III is planned to open on December 5, 2007.

With Hostage of Hongsawadee, part one of what's now a film trilogy, The Legend of King Naresuan, MC Chatrichalerm Yukol is just getting warmed up. Still, it's hard to not judge this film too harshly, with its sometimes confusing storyline and uneven performances.

The highly anticipated followup to his 2001 epic, Suriyothai, the story picks up 15 years after the death of Queen Suriyothai. Under constant attack by Hongsawadee (Burma), the country that could be Siam has crumbled into rivalry and pettiness.

The ruler of Phitsanulok, King Thamaracha (Chatchai Plengpanich) whines when he's told that Ayutthaya won't send any troops to help fend off the Burmese hoards. Seeing no alternative, he surrenders to King Bayinnaung of Hongsawadee (a bold Sompop Benjatikul). To ensure he'll remain a loyal vassal, Thamaracha agrees to send his son, Prince Naresuan (Pratcha Sananwatananont), to Hongsawadee as a hostage.

Promising to treat the boy as if he were his own, Bayinnaung takes an immediate liking to the cheeky Naresuan, who refuses to bow to the king, saying he only shows respect to those who earn it. The boy accompanies the king on a campaign to Ayutthaya, and receives schooling in warfare while on the back of an elephant.

But the prince's real training begins in Hongsawadee, under the tutelage of an irascible staff-wielding head monk (the great Sorapong Chatree), who's Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda all rolled up into one. A flash of magic reveals his potential, when he shows how a serpent-shaped scythe can become a deadly weapon with just a flip of his staff.

Ordained in this Burmese Shaolin Temple, the prince learns hand-to-hand combat, two-fisted sword fighting and tactics of war. What kind of Buddhism is this, anyway? Well, the basic tenants are there, sort of, as the prince learns when he and his newfound friends decide to take up cock fighting as a pastime. They receive a caning or two for their transgressions, but then convince the head monk to let them fight their magnificent rooster just one more time against the bird of a rival Burmese boy prince. Later, the noble rooster is let go by the prince, who displays an ability to talk to animals. Earlier, he tells a cobra to leave one of his friends alone, and this ability played a major role in last year's animated feature, Khan Kluay.



Naresuan's childhood companions are the temple boy Bunteng, a foul-mouthed, long-haired street urchin that Naresuan rescued from a mob after he stole some food in Thai town, and a temple girl, Manechan.

While Pratcha Sananvatananont has a commanding presence – as he should, since he's playing a future king of Ayutthaya – the other child actors are only barely tolerable for their cuteness, mainly because you will want to see what they will be like when they grow up.

The best performances are by the veterans Sompop and Sorapong, who are a joy to watch in their meaty roles. Guys like these don't get leading roles in Thai cinema very much these days. Sompop's cunning character is especially interesting. He makes the Burmese king come off like the good guy, while the Siamese kings look like fools.

As with Suriyothai, there is plenty of political intrigue as Bayinnaung relentlessly attacks and looks for ways to undermine Ayutthaya. After Suriyothai's daughter is captured by Bayinnaung while on her way to become a consort to another king, the fiery princess stabs herself with a hairpin rather than become Bayinnaung's lover.

Later, Naresuan's older sister, Princess Supankulayanee (an oddly cast Grace Mahadumrongkul), is brought to Hongsawadee, ostensibly as a court dance instructor, but she really knows what's on the smooth-talking king's mind when her face is slathered in white pancake make-up and brought before him . He just wants to chat, really. Defiant in spirit like her brother, she says she'll never give her heart to Bayinnaung, and will remain fiercely loyal to her native land. She even has some Siamese soil to prove her point.

The melodrama gets pretty confusing, and it's hammered home with some explosions and epic battles. It's tiresome. The fighting roosters have more heart and soul than the men in the warfare scenes.

And when I say hammered, I do mean hammered in the literal sense as well. In one scene, a duplicitious Siamese general who betrayed Ayutthaya is rewarded by Bayinnaung with a chest full of gold and jewels. As he hugs the treasure chest, some men sidle up to him with sledges and spikes, and nail his hands to the chest. He and his burden are then thrown into the river. Thanks a lot!

Chatricharlerm is known for the messages in his films. So with King Naresuan, is there an underlying political message? Something about leaders who turn over their powers to rulers in another country? Is it really Burma that's being talked about here?

Eventually, the situation for Prince Naresuan proves untenable. The rival Burmese boy prince and his hangers-on are jealous of Naresuan and the attentions given him by Bayinnaung. Attackers are dispatched off a bridge and into a klong by the wire-assisted scissors kicks of Naresuan, who then escapes with some followers to Ayutthaya. His sister will stay behind in sacrifice.

But what of hopes for the Hongsawadee line to continue? "There is another," Bayinnaung is told by a soothsayer.



More information:

• Official site

See also:

• Review at Coffee, Coffee and More Coffee

(Cross-published t Rotten Tomatoes>)

Spiritual warrior

After touring the U.S. to promote Tom-Yum-Goong (or The Protector), Tony Jaa is back in Thailand.

After some time meditating at a jungle temple, he's spiritually revived and ready to get down to the work of directing Ong Bak 2, reports Parinyaporn Payee in The Nation yesterday.

The story of Ong-Bak 2 is based on Ai Noom Saraphad Phid, a low-budget film he made years ago with mentor and martial arts choreographer Panna Rittikrai. Intended as an audition screener for Sahamongkol Films, the film was never shown because film stock they used was expired. The title translates to "man with poison", and is about a man who has two conflicting sides. He lets the dark side rule over him until he "discovers the beauty of khon" (Thai masked dance) and is able to transform his powers for the good. Shooting will start in earnest in January with the film's release late in 2007.

Parinyaporn caught up with Tony at a "khrob khru" ceremony, in which khon students pay tribute to their teachers. Earlier this year Tony collaborated with national artist and dancer Pichet Klunchun on a khon-inspired dance that was performed at the Subhanahongsa Awards. Since then, Tony's been looking for ways to incorporate the sacred, traditional dance into his martial arts routines, so audiences can expect Ong-Bak 2 to show more of that influence.

Present at the ceremony was Sahamongkol Films exec Somsak Techaratanaprasert, and noticeably absent was Ong-Bak and Tom Yum Goong director Prachya Pinkaew. The Nation hints at rumors of a split between Tony and the Baa Ram Ewe production company head, though "Tony clams up" at any mention of it.

It goes on to mention a new production company set up by Tony, Iyara Films, will be producing the next project, Dab Atamat (Sword), which is still in script development.

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

That voodoo you do so bad

It's not only in Thailand where movies and other works run into trouble with the culture police.

In Malaysia, there's a film called Dukun that would probably be a big earner, if only it could be released.

The Associated Press covers the tale.

It's a fascinating story, really, about a female witch doctor who was convicted and hanged in 2001 for the murder and hacking up of a politician. Reportedly, on the gallows, her last words were "I will not die!"

The movie, Dukun, has a fictional character whose actions closely mirror the true-crime story.

The movie is highly anticipated and would likely do great business for audiences who are still very much fascinated with the case and with the occult in general. However, the Malaysian censors take a dim view of such things.

It's uncertain at this time if the film will be released or if the director will submit to editing and reshoots.

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

Focus in The Possible

While Charlie Trairat has had a few film appearances since Fan Chan, in Dorm, The Kingmaker and the upcoming Legend of Sudsakorn, not much has been seen from his co-star, Focus Jirakul. She's in The Possible, though. That's her there. Keep in mind she's still probably only around 14.

It makes sense that a good-luck charm from Fan Chan would be in The Possible, seeing as how it's the solo directorial debut of another one of the "Fan Chan six", Witthaya Thongyooyong.

The story involves a 1970s Thai band (patterned after The Impossibles) who are given a mysterious microphone that turns out to be a time machine that transports them to present-day Bangkok.

A number of actual Thai pop stars are in the cast, chief among them Apisit Opsasaimlikit. I kept looking at that guy with the long hair and moustache, trying to figure out where I'd seen him before. Well, he's Thailand's first hip hop star, Joey Boy. Members of other bands, including Yokee Playboy and Paradox, are also in this onscreen band.


(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

Release dates shuffled by Naresuan

Folks waiting to see Nang Nak star Intira Jaroenpura as a warrior woman will have to wait awhile longer.

Continuing delays with King Naresuan have pushed the film's release back to January 18. It's still an auspicous day, since it's Royal Thai Army Day.

I've lost count of how many times the film's release has been delayed, but with such an ambitious film, by an ambitious director, MC Chatrichalerm Yukol, it's par for the course.

The big news, according to Kong Rithdee in yesterday's Bangkok Post, is that the film is now "films", and will be released in two parts. Audiences can watch both in one go, or just see one. If they like what they see, they can come back for more.

The shuffling around has affected other films. Dynamite Warrior, originally planned for release on His Majesty the King's birthday, December 5, has moved to the December 21 date vacated by King Naresuan.

Kong speculates that maybe Borat will be shown in Thailand, but it's highly doubtful, even though it's the film everyone wants to see.

That December 5 date was pretty crowded anyway, with the GTH musical time-travel comedy The Possible opening the day before on December 4, and Legend of Sudsakorn on November 30.

It's going to be a long weekend.

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

Tears of the Black Tiger to get U.S. theatrical release

I saw something about this on Twitch awhile back, and now Five Star Production has confirmed it.

After around three years of talks, Magnolia has succeeded in acquiring the rights to Tears of the Black Tiger from Miramax's vaults. The theatrical release by the Landmark Theater chain is planned for January.

This is big news. It looked as if Tears of the Black Tiger (Fah Talai Jone) would never see the light of day after it was bought by the Weinsteins, who then had the ending changed and then locked it in a vault for no one to see.

While it's hoped (and very likely) that Magnolia will release the original version of the film, the exact details of this will be forthcoming from Magnolia. Director Wisit Sasanatieng "is extremely delighted about this," says Five Star's spokeswoman.

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

Jim Thompson returns to Bangkok

Jim Thompson was a former OSS agent who came to Thailand right at the end of the Second World War. His mission was to turn to the Thais against their Japanese occupiers, but just as he landed the Japanese surrendered. He stayed in Thailand anyway, though his activities in the Kingdom remain the source of much speculation. One thing he did for sure, though, was revitalize the art and industry of Thai silk, and to this day a brand of Thai silk bears his name.

In 1967, he vanished without a trace in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, and his disappearance has also been the source of much speculation, with writers and conspiracy theorists all weighing in. A TV movie about it was produced by The Nation some years ago. It was a disaster. Teleplay writer Prabda Yoon probably wishes it would be forgotten about, but I've got the VHS tapes to prove it happened.

A co-worker once asked me what I thought about the Thompson legend, and I said I figured he was still alive, probably hanging out in Bangkok. It turns out I wasn't too far off the mark. This year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth, and to celebrate it, Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul has put together a show called Lost in the City that celebrates the life and legend of Thompson. It's on until March 31 at Jim Thompson House, which is a collection of old Thai-style wooden houses on the banks of Klong Saen Saeb near National Stadium in Bangkok.

They have some pretty cool art to promote the exhibition, including an ad that looks like an old Thai movie poster, and a slick composite photo that makes it look like Thompson is riding the Bangkok Skytrain.


(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)

The opera's over

That old saw about the opera being over is going to have to change. Now, as the latest work by Somtow Sucharitkul, Ayodhya, demonstrates, it's not over until the press conference is held.

The opera, based on Thailand's national epic, the Ramakien, premiered over the weekend in a two-performance run. But in the ensuing days, a controversy has arisen that has hit the international press. It seems that the Culture Ministry made Somtow sign a contract to make him change his opera so that one of the principle characters, Thotsakan, dies offstage. To have him die onstage, the Culture Ministry said, would bring bad luck to Thailand.

Yeah, you read that right: If a character in an opera dies, it will bring bad luck to an entire nation.

Somtow went along with the decree, though, I suppose, so he could get his ambitious project staged. If he had protested beforehand, it might not have come off at all.

The Nation covered the story today, and it hit the international press over the weekend, including the BBC, AP and UPI.

The foreign press, which have a limited understanding of the issue, are quick to blame the junta and the recent coup for the crackdown. Let me put it as nice as I can: the Culture Ministry have always been thorny about the issue. Their stance on the opera mirrors a performance earlier this year (and before the coup) by Thai rock musicians in New York for the Ramakien: A Rak Opera.

It has nothing to do with the coup. It has to do with aspects of Thai culture and religion that go back thousands of years. As with the Rak Opera, the ministry holds that Ayodhya falls under the guidelines of khon dance performance, the form of masked dance in which the Ramakien is depicted. It is held sacred in Thailand, and there's no room for monkeying around with it, in the Culture Ministry's eyes.

Somtow, in The Nation today, said that khon experts disagree as to whether the taboo against the onstage death of Thotsakan is an ancient tradition or whether it was established in the early 20th century.

"This is not a matter on which the Ministry's experts hold the sole, unanimous opinion. So, even if the traditions of khon did apply to opera, the argument can work both ways. My personal problems with this matter have nothing to do with the death of Thotsakan at all - as I have said, both the director and I did a great deal to accommodate the tradition as it was stated to us. My personal problems as an artist are that the Ministry feels it has the right to impose a blanket restriction on a work of art. This is a chilling and positively Stalinist concept.

"The word culture is a holistic thing. It is about ancient traditions, but it also about modern explorations of tradition. A culture is alive precisely because it grows and is continually reinvented. Our job as artists is to mirror society and the human condition, and, most of all, always to speak the truth no matter what the cost."

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)